California Goddess
by Angela Domingo
Summary: Can Angela Domingo fit in to her new drumline after moving from Anaheim?
1. Into The Unknown

California Tenor Goddess by Angela Domingo  
  
Disclaimer: None of these characters are real, but some have the personalities of some of my friends. If, in any manner, these characters resemble any real person, it is purely coincidental. Name of places have been changed for protection.  
  
Chapter One  
  
"Who's that coming this way?" Dave Blake, the senior drumline director of Holland Southeastern High School, asked the other four junior directors as he spied a girl dressed in baggy black jeans and a tight white tank top with a black dragon screen on the side slowly walking towards them. Dave noticed that a white ski-cap completely hid her hair and a pair of black sunglasses covered her eyes, and at times he was uncertain whether she was looking at him or not. One by one the other directors each met his gaze and shrugged from their place beside him on the bleachers. Dave sighed and was even more curious about this girl when he turned back and saw Neesha David, the senior second bass player, walking besides her, the exact opposite of the girl with her ebony skin, blue jeans, and a black tank. The girls gazed around at the wide expanse of the main gym and the drumline members that were slowly setting their equipment up on a rubber sheet spread across the gym floor, which was their marching field, before they reached the bleachers. When they reached the steps of the bleachers Neesha said something to the girl, gave her a hug, and turned to go towards the field where her bass sat on the floor. But as the girl turned to climb the steps Neesha turned towards Dave and flashed him a thumbs up sign and a smile, which Dave returned. He stood up as the girl was nearly to where he was sitting and held out a hand.  
  
"Hey. I'm Dave Blake, the senior drumline director. And what might a new face like yours be doing at a drumline practice?" he asked he with a grin as she took his hand and shook it.  
  
"My name is Angela Domingo, and I'd like to tryout for your drumline," she said and returned his smile, revealing straight white teeth. Even up close Dave noticed he couldn't see the color of her hair, or the color of the eyes that gazed at him from under her glasses.  
  
"Well you've come to the right place. And at the right time," he said with a glance at his watch.  
  
"We still have fifteen minutes left before practice begins. And maybe, if it is needed, we can hold over." He watched as a wide grin spread over Angela's face.  
  
"You mean I can tryout now?" she asked, and Dave nodded in response.  
  
"But before I do respond definitely yes, I would like to get counsel from the other four junior directors. Guys, come up here," Dave said and gestured to the other four men sitting beside him. They all stood up and stood on either side of him. Dave nodded at them to introduce themselves and to say their decision in the matter of letting her tryout. Two one the far ends of Dave stepped forward.  
  
"I'm Gabe Hughes," the one on the left said.  
  
"And I'm Chase Thorne. And both of us agree to you trying out," the other on the right echoed. They both in turn shook Angela's hand, and the other two stepped forward.  
  
"Kurt. Kurt Avery," the guy to the right of Gabe said and shook Angela's hand as the last director stepped forward.  
  
"And last but not least, I'm Leo Garrett, and we all agree to let you tryout," he said and gripped Angela's hand in a friendly handshake. The smile that broke out across her face out- measured the previous one.  
  
"But first, Angela, I have a couple questions. The first being have you had any past marching experience?" Dave said as he turned back to her, watching her nod.  
  
"You bet. At my old school, St. Alejandro of Anaheim, I was in the fall command and in winter drumline. I've played in each for five years; I started my sub-freshman year. Sub-freshman year I was in pit, then the rest of the four years, I was the first tenor. I beat out two seniors and a sophomore for the first part my freshman year, and stayed first ever since. After two years, at the end of my freshman winter drumline season, I earned the nickname the Tenor Goddess of the Water. And I finished my last fall season in the St. Alejandro Command in October before I moved here to good old Fishers Indiana," she said with a smile when she saw the raised eyebrows of shock and awe hidden in the directors' eyes.  
  
"Hmmm. Very interesting indeed. I think you'll have to prove your Goddess title to us though. Hope you don't mind that it's in front of the whole drumline. And one last thing about yourself," he said and watched her raise and eyebrow that said proceed. "Why the nickname?"  
  
"Oh, that. Because of this," she said and pulled off her ski-cap. The shock was now open on the directors' faces as they watched straight sapphire blue hair tumble down her back and settle there, and gazed at the matching natural sapphire eyes that appeared from behind the sunglasses as Angela took them off.  
  
"Oh, and don't forget these," Angela said as she turned around and pulled her hair out of the way as she did. Now the directors' mouths hung open as they gazed at the outline of two intricate angel wings tattooed on either of her shoulder blades.  
  
"Wow, now those are nice," Leo, whose own arms were adorned with tattoos, said with a whistle. Angela grinned and dropped her hair as she turned back around, stuffing her glasses into her ski cap as she shook her head to get the hair out of her eyes.  
  
"Thanks. I think they were worth the pain," she said with a smile as Leo winked at her. Recovering from his shock Dave looked at Angela now with awe.  
  
"So," he said clearing his throat," I take it you had a fall show right?"  
  
"You bet," Angela said and Dave smiled.  
  
"Do you remember the first song?" he asked and Angela nodded as she noticed the twinkle of Dave's gray eyes as he asked. "Good. I want you to play it for your audition."  
  
"Great. All I need is a set of quints. You just want me to play right, no marching?" she asked as she put her hair behind her ears as Dave nodded.  
  
"Alright, then it's set. I'll get you a set of quints for you to use for your tryout, and I'll call the drumline over. Then you'll perform. Okay?" he asked and Angela nodded.  
  
"HEY DRUMLINE! OVER HERE NOW! WE'VE GOT AN AUDITION TO HOLD!" Gabe screamed to the drumline members from his perch beside Kurt.  
  
"AND ELIJAH FAUST! BRING US YOUR QUINTS WHEN YOU COME OVER HERE!" Chase shouted after Kurt, and they all watched as the drumline members stopped what they were doing and began to run over to the bleachers. Angela stood and watched the pandemonium and noticed a guy about her height, if not a bit taller, with blond hair and her color eyes walking over with a set of quints at his hips, and set them down at the edge of the rubber mat.. As he passed her to go up into the bleachers he flashed her a smile, one that shone with interest in her, and she smiled back with one of her own. But her head was drawn away from him as Dave spoke to her.  
  
"Okay Angela. Go on down and Elijah, the senior tenor player, will give you his quints to use, but after we introduce you to our drumline, okay?" Dave asked. Angela nodded, and the two began to walk to wards the floor in front of the bleachers. By that time the members had crawled up into the bleachers and had sat down, and as Angela passed she could spot some familiar faces, but most just eyed her with interest as she passed. Angela spotted Neesha in the crowd, her dark ebony skin standing out among the others' tans, and Neesha winked one of her matching ebony eyes and smiled a good luck smile to Angela as she watched her descend the stairs. Angela smiled back gratefully.  
  
'Obviously they don't get a lot of people who just show up and tryout,' she thought to herself as she reached the floor with Dave. She stood beside him when he stopped, and put her hands at her hips as he began to speak.  
  
"Alright, ladies and gents. We have a new face who would like to try out for our drumline. She's going to introduce herself, then we're gonna test her skills to see if she has what it takes. And now, HSE, here is senior Miss Angela Domingo, all the way from sunny Orange County, California!" Dave announced with a smile, then backed up and sat on the bleachers, giving her the floor. She stepped up to the floor in the very front of all the members.  
  
And she gave a huge one of her sparkling white smiles.  
  
"Hey y'all, how are you doing?" she asked, her eyes glittering, and she crowd shouted a couple different answers. Someone even asked how the weather was in Orange County.  
  
"It's great and sunny, baby. And I miss it. Thanks for asking," she replied with a smile, and the crowd laughed.  
  
"But anyway. Yes, as you all know by now, I'm Angela Domingo, and I came from St. Alejandro High School in Orange County, California. More specifically, Anaheim. I have been in the St. Alejandro Drumline for around five years. Well, I'm not obviously in completion of my fifth year since I'm here now, but it's close enough. I started my sub-freshman year in pit, but the rest of my four years I have been first tenor. To have acquired that part, I beat two seniors and a sophomore for it. Since then I have been first tenor, and I held that spot up until I left. Yeah, and I'm here to tryout today because drumline is like, my life. I couldn't stand not joining for even one season. At St. Alejandro our summer show was Metal, with a guitar excerpt from one of Black Sabbath's songs. I hope I have just as much fun with your shows as I used to with mine. I was so into my music that by the end of my freshman year I earned the nickname Tenor Goddess of the Water, for obvious reasons on the water part. But I'm here today to prove the Goddess part to you. And I hope you like my summer show," she said with a grin as everyone clapped, and the ones that knew her shouted encouraging things like, "Angela, you're hot!" and "That's right girl you kick some ass!!!"  
  
"Alright, Miss Domingo, you're up," Dave said with an encouraging smile to her, and she nodded as she walked over to Elijah's quints. She reached them and pulled the harness up over her head, the five drums settling at her hips. She leaned back slightly to compensate for the weight, and ran her hands along the drums, remembering the power she had when she possessed them at St. Alejandro. She pulled out the familiar hard mallets, gripping them tightly as she only hoped that she could have that same power at this new school, in this alien drumline. And she was all alone out on the floor, with none of her familiar Anaheim players, and she breathed out a shaky breath as she tried to quell her fears and nervousness. She looked out into the crowd, and instantly her eyes were drawn to Elijah, all because he was watching her with such intensity that it was intriguing to her.  
  
'Wait a second. I am the Tenor Goddess. What am I to be afraid of?' she asked herself as she began to twirl her sticks around in her hands, slowly at first, but she sped up to the tempo of the first movement. Angela began to feel the power that she was familiar to with her quints, the flames of her talent surging up and licking her hands and arms, all the way up into her sticks.  
  
Her mallets came down in one explosive first note, and she began to play her old show, one that was so familiar to her that she didn't even look down after the first couple of notes, and she smiled. It was the first time in a while that she had played Metal. And she realized this would be the last time she played it for anyone in competition. It saddened her, but she smiled. She was looking forward to much more here in Fishers, at HSE. She smiled at the uncertainty of tomorrow, or the next day. She neared the end of the first movement, her body instantly going into the choreography that had been drilled into her brain during the summer, and she pretended her old tenors were with her as she brought out her sticks, pretending to slam them with Riven or Mike. The act of the choreography brought a saddened smile to her face, and tears to her eyes. She would miss Mike and Riven. And Dawn, Freak, and John. But she was here now. And she had to make this drumline. She had to. Then she finished the choreography with a spin, bringing her mallets down for one last time, playing to the end of the song. She hit the last note and crossed her arms, sticks pointing up; all in a split second. The tears came again as she realized it was over and Metal was no more. In surprise she looked up at the crowd of HSE as they burst into frenzied applause, shouts and whoops lacing the claps. Carefully she tucked Elijah's mallets back into his pouch, feeling the power begin to fade from her. And the feeling fully vanished when she took the harness and drums off, carefully setting them on the rubber beneath her. She began to walk back to the bleachers, and Dave walked towards her from his place in the stands as the drumline members piled back onto the floor to begin practice. Several said congratulations to her as they passed to return to their instruments. He reached her with an astounded smile on his face amidst the running members, and she stopped to face him.  
  
"Miss Domingo, I believe we have our new tenor player of HSE," he said with a smile as he stuck out his hand, and she took it almost gratefully.  
  
"Thank you so much for letting me try out. And for welcoming me," she said with a smile as big as his. He shook his head.  
  
"It really is no big deal. I would have been stupid if I wouldn't have welcomed you. You're that good," he said with a smile. Hers grew wider.  
  
"Thanks," she replied, and Dave nodded.  
  
"You're very welcome. Since you don't have music, and you don't know the choreography, how about you just sit on the bleachers and observe so you can get the feel for the show? And I'll get you both of the things you need after practice if you just come and see me before you go," Dave asked.  
  
"That's fine with me. I'll just come by after,," she said , and Dave nodded.  
  
"Great. See you after practice in the office," he said and began to walk towards the floor to where the other directors were standing and chatting, and Angela began to walk towards the bleachers to sit down. But she stopped and turned around as Dave called her name.  
  
"I think you've proved the Goddess title to everyone here, including me," he said with a wink and a smile, and she smiled back in response.  
  
"I think so too," she replied, and Dave smiled at her one last time before he went to stand with the other directors to begin practice. She turned around and sat on the nearest bleacher seat, then realized she didn't have her cap and glasses. She was about to get up and get them when she saw someone coming towards her. It was Elijah.  
  
"Hey. I think these are yours," he said and handed her cap and glasses to her. She smiled and looked up at him as she took them.  
  
"Thanks a lot," she said and flashed him a dazzling smile. He nodded in response, smiled back equally wide, then began to walk towards the floor to get his quints. She caught him look back at her and she smiled. He returned her smile, and he turned back to pick up his quints. Angela watched him go and she leaned back, throwing her cap and glasses down onto the seat beside her, a smile on her face.  
  
**********  
  
After practice Angela walked down the hallways alone, swinging her cap and glasses back and forth in the air while she hummed Rhapsody In Blue by Gershwin, the HSE drumline's show for this year. It was a song that she knew well, from her years back at St. Alejandro.  
  
She turned down into the main hallway leading to the auditorium, and walked down to the band hallway. Everyone had left except for Neesha, who, as the captain, had gone to the percussion storage room-which was in the band room- to check all the equipment and make sure all the instruments were stored away properly. Just for fun, when Angela reached the band locker room she went to her locker and opened it, pulling out her clarinet case. She opened it, put her instrument together, wet her reed, and began to play the opening clarinet solo to Rhapsody In Blue, from memory, as she walked to the band office to wait for Dave. Angela had played the song in Anaheim for band, and she had gotten the solo-being first chair in her top band- and had memorized it accordingly. As the notes once again washed into her mind, she walked slowly as she played the opening run, then even slower as the rhythm began to flourish into more notes at the mercy of her fingers. She rounded the corner of the band room to the office, and walked right in, since the door was open. She stopped playing- not even halfway through the opening solo- when she realized that she wasn't alone. Elijah was sitting on the floor, smiling up at her as she entered the room. Angela pulled her clarinet out of her mouth in embarrassment, her face turning bright pink as she did so.  
  
"Sorry. I didn't think anyone else was here except me," she said with a smile, the color in her face receding as she smiled. Elijah shook his head, smiling a grin that matched hers.  
  
"It's no problem. You know you're quite good. No one at this school I think can even attempt that solo in Wind Ensemble, well, except for Alana Peters," he replied. Angela nodded.  
  
"Yes, I know she'd be able to tackle it. But I played it in band, so I have more of an advantage," she said as she leaned on the doorframe. Elijah's eyebrows went up in surprise.  
  
"Wow. Anaheim must have some serious players in its bands," he said with a laugh. Angela smiled.  
  
"We did. Too bad I'm not there anymore. I'd like to see who took my place once I left. There weren't many who could even hope of filling my spot" she replied as she stretched her arms, her biceps and triceps in her upper arm rippling as she did so, Elijah watching. He snapped out of his daydreaming when Angela looked at him.  
  
"Well, we're being a little confident, now aren't we?" he asked, laughter in his eyes. Angela shrugged, a smile tugging at the corners of her mouth.  
  
"Nah. It's the truth. Not many people can be the best clarinet and tenor player in the state of California," she added. Elijah's mouth dropped open with a squeak.  
  
"Jeez. I suppose you're in Wind Ensemble then, right? Come to think of it, I do remember seeing you yesterday. Man, Alana is going to have a run for her money soon. Did you start yesterday?" he asked. Angela shook her head as she replied.  
  
"Nope. I've been here for a couple weeks, but I changed a couple of my classes. Like band. I got moved up, and I'm starting sixth period calc tomorrow," she said in answer to his question. She saw Elijah grin.  
  
"You'll be in my calc class, providing you have Ms. Vincent," he said and watched Angela smile.  
  
"Yeah, I do, and" she started, but coughed before finishing, "at least I'll know one person." Elijah nodded.  
  
"Neesha's in my class too, so you'll know at least two," he said. Angela smiled.  
  
"Thank God," she replied as she began to dig around in her pockets, realizing she hadn't eaten since breakfast. Finally she found what she was looking for, and brought out a bag of Sour Patch Kids from one of her huge pockets. Elijah laughed, and Angela grinned as she began to devour a whole handful.  
  
"Hey, when you gotta eat you gotta eat," she said with a smile, and Elijah nodded in response.  
  
"Amen to that," he replied with a laugh, and looked up as Dave walked in, smiling at the two of them.  
  
"Hey kids. Hope I didn't keep ya long," he asked as he set a pile of papers and notebooks down on his desk, which was right next to the band directors'. Both Angela and Elijah shook their heads.  
  
"Nope," they both replied at the same time, and they both looked at each other curiously and smiled. So did Dave.  
  
"Well, Angela, let's get you taken care of first. Here are your warm- ups and music. Find a binder for it, okay?" Dave said handing Angela a decently large stack of papers. She took them gratefully, putting her cap and glasses on top of the stack as she cradled it to her chest.  
  
"And I'll have to get someone to teach you all of the choreography," Dave said as he thought for a moment. Elijah shifted from where he was sitting.  
  
"I'll teach her," he said almost quietly. Dave smiled and looked up in approval at his statement.  
  
"Okay. So work out a time when you two can meet here or in the gym before practice and learn the choreography. Now for you, Elijah," Dave said turning to his desk and opening a drawer. Elijah stood up, stretching his back and arms. Angela watched as his whole back and arms rippled in a single fluid motion, his T-shirt lifting up slightly to reveal only a fraction of his well-defined abs. Elijah turned his head to look at her when she was staring, and she looked away as his eyes caught hers, embarrassed. She turned her face away slightly as the color began to seep through her face for the second time in twenty minutes. Dave didn't notice as he turned back around.  
  
"And Mr. Faust, I believe this is yours," Dave said and handed Elijah a red portable CD Walkman. Elijah took it with a smile.  
  
"Thanks for finding it and keeping it after practice for me," he said as Dave smiled.  
  
"No problem. Just don't lose it again, because next time I might not stumble upon it like I did this time," Dave said sternly. Elijah nodded.  
  
"Alright. Thanks Dave," he said as he began to walk out the door; and Angela spoke to Dave for the last time that night.  
  
"Thanks again for everything Dave," she said, and Dave looked up at her from the desk he was leaning over and he smiled.  
  
"You're very welcome. And again, welcome to HSE," he said, the smile lighting up his gray eyes. Angela nodded, returning the smile, and she left the band office, ready to go home. When she rounded the corner after putting away her clarinet she was surprised to see Elijah leaning against the wall, waiting for her.  
  
"You waited," she said in surprise. Elijah shrugged.  
  
"What, you think I wouldn't?" he asked softly, and Angela looked at him, and their eyes locked. The uneasy silence was broken when they heard Angela's name being called from behind them. They both turned around, looking away in the process, to see Neesha running towards them, the percussion storage door slamming shut behind her with an ear-splitting bang that rocked the band room. Dave shouted something incoherently at Neesha from the office as she ran by.  
  
"I know! I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry!" she said as she ran by, not stopping. Elijah and Angela laughed, stifling the laughter with their hands. When Neesha caught up to them she smiled.  
  
"Now what are y'all laughing at?" she asked mockingly. They both shook their heads.  
  
"Nothing," they both said at the same time. Neesha looked at them strangely. Angela raised an eyebrow.  
  
"What?" she asked, staring Neesha down. Neesha smiled a secretive smile as she looked at Elijah, then back at Angela.  
  
"Oh, it's nothing. I'm sure it's just a trick of mah imagination," Neesha replied as she flashed a smile and a wink at Angela. Angela smiled, knowing what she was thinking.  
  
"Shut up Neesha," she said as they all began to walk towards the entrance.  
  
"Hey girl, so you're coming and performing your coolness at the next practice?" Neesha asked. Angela nodded.  
  
"You bet. And I'm happy!" Angela replied and broke into a strain of C-Walking, her feet moving gracefully across the floor even with her backpack on her back.  
  
"Oh my God I can do so much better!" Elijah replied as he danced besides her, his feet moving in perfect time with hers. She looked at him in shock, then smiled and puffed out her bottom lip in a fake pout as she danced down the hallway, Elijah following. Neesha followed behind, a smile on her face. They all hit the lobby, dancing to the center of the drumline crowd that was gathered in the main lobby. Angela looked at Elijah, looking deep into his eyes as they danced.  
  
"Dance-off," Angela whispered as she threw her backpack down, and Elijah followed suit by throwing his next to hers. The crowd cheered and formed a circle, giving them generous space. Angela stopped, giving Elijah the floor. Instantly he broke out his best moves, flashing his best b-boy colors as the crowed whooped and cheered as Elijah reached his climax in his show, and he stopped to give her the floor to Angela. He gazed at her from across the circle, sweat dripping from his face and down his neck, his chest heaving. Angela smiled at his attractiveness that he was blatantly showing to her. So she decided to show him hers.  
  
She broke out her dance moves, starting it all with her feet. She started slowly at first, her feet moving simply, in a non-intricate pattern on the floor. Then she weaved in more and more steps until she practically had to jump to use them all, and then she added belly dancing into her steps. For her final climax she broke into the classic b-girl moves that she had learned in Anaheim, some old and some new, some well known and some native to Anaheim. She smiled when she was finished, her hair swaying gently with sweat as she stopped moving completely and wiped the sweat from her neck. The crowd cheered, and Elijah walked over to her, slapping her a high five. The crowd dissipated when Elijah finally looked at Angela again, facing her in the almost now empty lobby.  
  
"That was really cool, although I probably looked really bad because I haven't broken out my b-boy moves in like forever," he said with a smile as he looked at her. They both looked at each other, but their gaze was broken when they heard Neesha shout to them.  
  
"Hey y'all, that was so amazing. I haven't seen nothing like that since I've seen my older cousins have a dance-off," she said with a warm smile as she brought both of their backpacks over.  
  
"Thanks Neesha. God I haven't done that in a while," Angela said as she took her backpack from Neesha, and Elijah took his, slinging it over his shoulder. Elijah looked at Angela.  
  
"What inspired that?" he asked with a curious look and a smile on his face as he caught her eyes and she grinned back.  
  
"I honestly have no idea," she replied with a laugh. Neesha looked at her with yet another warm smile.  
  
"Girl, I ain't seen no white girl ever dance like that 'round here. Do all white girls and blacks alike dance like that in Cali?" Neesha asked with a laugh, Elijah and Angela joining in as she put her backpack on her right shoulder, shifting her weight on her feet as the three began to walk toward the lobby doors.  
  
"Actually yea. It's kinda a cultural thing where we learned together from older people and then danced together for fun. We used to have dance offs all the time in people's backyards. But the best were the really spontaneous ones that happened on the streets or in odd moments," Angela replied. Elijah nodded.  
  
"So that right there was one of those weird moments?" he asked playfully.  
  
"Yes dork. Of course it was. Did you see it coming?" she said as she cast glance at Elijah to see him shake his head with a grin, "Thought so."  
  
"So where you guys headed to?" Elijah asked as he opened the door and let the two through, the air instantly becoming warmer as they walked out. He opened the second door before Neesha answered.  
  
"Well, tonight's my ride day-we alternate rides every day, so she'll drive me tomorrow-so I'm driving Angela home. We might go get a bite to eat on da way back. I'm starved from all dat practice," she said. Angela nodded absently, too caught up in smelling the scent of the honeysuckle that grew on the side of the road, its sweet tang drifting around the school parking lot. The spring breeze sprung up for a moment, then was gone as it dashed away into the night after curling around the three friends.  
  
"Wow, what a nice night," Elijah said as they walked towards the parking lot, his still sweaty blond hair sweeping back from the breeze. Neesha and Angela both nodded in agreement. The three set out once they passed the curve of the first circle up to the side entrance of the school, an enjoyable silence surrounding them. They reached the last meridian before the row and rows of student parking spots started and stopped to face each other in a small circle.  
  
"Well ladies, I better get going," Elijah said as he turned to face Neesha and Angela.  
  
"Yea, us too. Especially if we want to get something to eat," Neesha said as she looked at Angela, who nodded in response.  
  
"Yea. Elijah, thanks a bunch for um, getting my hat and helping me out tonight as best you could. It really sucks being new and alone sometimes," Angela said in return. Elijah smiled.  
  
"It's no problem. I'm just glad I have some one to rock with now," he replied, and Angela returned the smile. She watched his grow wider, and an edge appeared in his grin that she couldn't quite get, but still made her turn a bit pink. She shrugged her backpack up her shoulder as the uneasy silence between them was cut by Neesha.  
  
"Bye Elijah. See you in band tomorrow," she said, and Angela echoed, a secretive smile now tugging the corners of her own mouth. Elijah nodded.  
  
"Later ladies," he said and turned to walk towards his car, flashing Angela a backward glance that made her smile, her face turning pink yet again.  
  
"Angela, let's go girl!" Neesha said, and Angela turned around to see that Neesha was already walking towards her car on the opposite end of the parking lot, giving her a funny look. Angela began to jog toward her, having to sling her backpack farther up her shoulder as she ran. When Angela caught up to her, Neesha gave her a funny look.  
  
"What was that all 'bout hon?" Neesha asked with a smile, already knowing the answer. Angela kicked a piece of gravel and avoided her eyes.  
  
"Nothin'," she replied, a smile emerging in her voice. Neesha looked at her and shoved her playfully.  
  
"Aww, come on! I even saw those huge sparks arching the air between you two! I shouldn't have even asked you what it was. I already knew!" Neesha said with a laugh. Angela laughed too, dancing a little as she did so.  
  
"So what do you think of the little. attraction between us?" Angela asked. Neesha laughed a little.  
  
"Hmm, girl what do I think of it. I think it cool! Elijah's never been able to find the right girl since eighth grade! Maybe you'd be the one honey," Neesha replied, taking out her keys as they neared her car. She hit the automatic unlock button. Her sleek silver Jetta's lights flickered in response as the doors opened.  
  
"Hmm, interesting," Angela replied as Neesha opened the trunk and threw both their bags in. They both began to walk around to their sides of the car when Angela noticed the guy in the black Mercedes next to Neesha's car on her side. Her looked up at her as she walked by. His jet-black hair almost disappeared in the summer night's darkness, its glossiness apparent when he turned his head to look at her. It was feathery, and she could tell it was a perfect cut for him, even in the darkness. Some strands of hair fell over his bright, blazing emerald green eyes as he watched her, his mouth a soft curve in the shadows of his car. His only body movement was that of his hands, which slammed out a beat on his dashboard with the drumsticks that were clasped in his hands. Angela could hear Rob Zombie's "Never Gonna Stop" streaming from his CD player as his furiously beating hands moved to match the song's tempo. She smiled, twirling her hips a bit to the music as she opened her door and got in when she realized Neesha had started the car, looking back to see him still watching her. She pulled her feet in and shut the door, cocking her head as she realized the guy had turned off the music and had shifted gears. She soon heard X103, the local alternative station, pound from his speakers. Angela turned to Neesha.  
  
"Who is that?" she asked releasing her breath, only then realizing she had been holding it. Neesha smiled at her.  
  
"Oh him? The hottest guy besides Elijah in drumline. Maybe even in HSE. His name's Cal Sutherlind," she replied as she shifted gears and backed out of her spot. She switched to forward, and began to drive out of the parking lot.  
  
"Wow, but no," Angela said as she stared out the review mirror as they drove out of the parking lot and into the street, only to see Cal's car go in the opposite direction, almost disappearing into the darkness, save the taillights of his car. Neesha smiled at her as they headed toward Steak N' Shake.  
  
"Good choice, baby girl," Neesha replied as she switched on the radio and sped into the night.  
  
**********  
  
Behind them, Cal Sutherlind watched them go from his rearview mirror. He smiled as he pounded out the lyrics to the Exies' "My Goddess," and licked his lips at Angela's little movement. His green eyes flared as he laughed and turned a corner, vanishing into the now black night. 


	2. The Beginning of Love

Chapter Two  
  
"Yea, time for Astronomy," Angela said as she hummed the Batman theme, walking along with Neesha on her way to Mrs. Pierce's Astronomy class the next day.  
  
"Just what I need. More work," Neesha said miserably as they walked along, climbing up the min staircase on their way to the C Hallway.  
  
"Oh baby girl, it'll be okay. It's just one bad day, and tonight I get to join you at practice," Angela said comfortingly as she put an arm around Neesha. Neesha smiled at her.  
  
"Thanks girl," Neesha said, a grateful smile on her face. Angela smiled back and was going to reply before she felt an arm wrap itself around her waist from the left, and she turned to settle her gaze on Elijah. She smiled wide.  
  
"You are so lucky you weren't someone else or I would have beat you," she said playfully. Neesha laughed beside her.  
  
"See girl, you make my day brighter. That's why I love being around you," Neesha said with a small giggle. Elijah smiled too.  
  
"Hey to you too," he said jokingly. She laughed, feeling the muscular weight of his arm resting on her jean clad hips as he gripped her comfortably. She suddenly realized what Neesha had meant when she said "big sparks."  
  
"Hey, nice outfit. I like it," Elijah said as he looked her over. Angela smiled. Today she was dressed in her favorite pair of big jeans, their bells at the bottoms more than thirty-six inches around, and her favorite T- shirt that said "angel" in crimson with a matching colored broken halo over it. He glanced at her red and black sneakers, smiled, then looked at her wallet chain dangling at her side, and then finally came to rest on the numerous colored rubber bracelets and the two black spiked cuffs that adorned her wrists. He looked up at her and smiled.  
  
"I think it's really hot," Elijah said with an enigmatic smile, and the three hit the top landing of the stairs, and kept walking on to the second hallway on the landing.  
  
"Thanks a bunch hon. It didn't take s long to put on as it did to do my hair," she replied and brought a hand up to touch her hair, making sure it was still in place. Elijah looked up, and gazed at her blue hair, tied up in two half buns on either side of her head, and the rest of hair was hanging down, framing her face softly. He then realized that her hair, in the buns and the strands that were hanging down, were streaked with a fiery red. He whistled.  
  
"Wow. I like. I never got how girls got their hair to do weird things," he said in awe, his arm still around her waist as they turned into the second hallway.  
  
"Elijah baby, you ain' seen nothin' yet. Ya wait 'til I do all my crazy black woman hair do's!" Neesha said with a laugh, Elijah and Angela both joining in.  
  
"Elijah, where you headin'?" Neesha asked as they began to walk down the science part of the hallway. He looked up at the ceiling as he walked.  
  
"Ah, biology 2. Right in the hallway parallel to this one," he answered. Neesha nodded as they came to an intersection where another small hallway connected the two main hallways in C.  
  
"All right, well I better be going ladies. Bio 2 calls," Elijah said as he gave Angela a squeeze and then removed his arm.  
  
"See you in calc Elijah," Angela said, and he looked at her and smiled.  
  
"Will do, babe. Later guys," he said and turned to leave, and winked at Angela as he did.  
  
"Later Elijah," Neesha and Angela chorused together, Angela in a complete daze, and the two then continued on.  
  
"Dang baby girl! Look at you!" Neesha exclaimed as she pulled Angela aside by the arm as they walked, causing her to narrowly miss running into a garbage can.  
  
"What?" Angela asked, completely oblivious to the fact that she almost ran into a garbage can as she regained her train of thought. Neesha smiled at Angela's clueless blue eyes.  
  
"You two got it real bad for each other. And ya almost gotcha' self intimately acquainted wit' a garbage can," Neesha said with a laugh. Angela's mouth opened.  
  
"I so didn't run into a garbage can," she said. Neesha laughed.  
  
"I know, but 'cha almost did!" she replied as she laughed some more. Angel smiled at her friend and gave her playful smack on the head.  
  
"Shut up," she laughed. Neesha shook her head, her grin still on her face. But the grin vanished when she turned her head back to center as she walked. Angela turned her head too, only to have Cal Sutherlind's green eyes lock onto hers. A shiver ran down her spine as she saw him. He was immaculately dressed in plain big jeans with pair of drumsticks sticking out of his back pocket, a wallet chain, and a tight black T-shirt, his muscles rippling under the fabric. His hair rippled as he walked too, like the wind was blowing it gently. Aiden Orpheus, a fellow senior in her astronomy class, was walking with him, apparently taking the long way to astronomy, since they were going the opposite direction than Neesha and Angela. Cal's attractiveness was rivaled only by Aiden's, with his tousled chin-length layered blond hair and his light ice blue eyes. Aiden was only a couple inches shorter than Cal, and Cal's height was around six-foot. The two walking together was almost like seeing two Greek gods stroll in the gardens of Olympus. Cal's eyes bored into Angela's, but she looked away, at Aiden, to see him smiling at her. Aiden winked, and then mouthed," Talk to you in astronomy."  
  
Angela nodded, and the two pairs of friends passed each other. Angela turned around to see Cal look back at her, his green eyes once more locking into her mind. She smiled, then turned back around to see Neesha staring at her.  
  
"What?" she asked when she saw the perturbed look in Neesha's eyes. Neesha shook her head and sighed.  
  
"Just be careful baby. You already got Elijah practically eating out of the palm of your hand. He really likes you. Don't mess wit him like this," Neesha replied. Angela shook her head.  
  
"I know Neesha! This is what I hate. All of a sudden this guy shows up and I like him too. Oh my God, how stupid is this," Angela said, making a gesture of frustration with her hands. Neesha smiled.  
  
"I know it sucks girl. But I think ya will be fine in da end," Neesha said as they reached their astronomy classroom.  
  
"I sure hope so, 'cause I don't really know about this right now," she answered as they both walked into the classroom, the bell ringing right as they entered the room.  
  
**********  
  
"Hey Angela. Can I sit with ya?" Aiden asked, a half-hour later, holding his Bingo card in one hand and handful of M&M's in the other. He plopped them down on the empty desk beside Angela, along with his Bingo card. She nodded as she looked up at him and smiled.  
  
"Be my guest, actually. Neesha over here is about to drive me crazy with all her talk on men," Angela said jokingly, and Neesha, who was sitting on Angela's other side, slapped her playfully on the arm. Aiden grinned and pulled the chair out, sitting down as he did so. Mrs. Pierce had gone down to an emergency meeting and had told the teacher in the next room to check in on them if they got too loud, and it was for a part of the period. Everyone really didn't care about the bingo match anymore, Angela realized as she looked around.  
  
"Hey Neesha, what's up?" Aiden asked as he sat down, bringing Angela's attention back to him. Neesha leaned over Angela's desk so she could see him and grinned.  
  
"Nothin' much brotha. But dere is one thang. how's Cal doin'?" she asked with a wide smile. Aiden grinned back, turning his gaze on Angela, his head still turned toward Neesha.  
  
"Actually, that's what I came to talk to Angela about," he replied with a grin at Neesha. She smiled back.  
  
"Well, dat's my cue to ex-it," Neesha said in a singsong voice, took her M&M's, and got up and left. She went and sat next to Terry Carnes, yet another senior and friend of Angela's, and said something to him as she sat down. Terry then looked over at Angela, a smile curving the corners of his lips. Angela returned the smile, then turned back to face Aiden.  
  
"So Aiden, what's up?" she asked him as she popped an M&M into her mouth, tossing it up expertly into the air, around a foot up above her, and enough it fell right into her gaping ruby-red lips. Aiden popped one into his mouth before he answered, shaking his head slightly as he turned to her to get the hair out of his blue eyes.  
  
"Well, last night around 11:30 Cal calls me on my cell phone, and I fell off the bed trying to reach my damn phone," he said as he put his feet up on the desk, his big jeans falling past his ankles, revealing new black Vans sneakers on his feet.  
  
"And?" she asked, following suit by putting her feet up on her desk, her pants falling to reveal tan and smooth legs, her red and black sneakers squeaking on the flat surface of the desk. Aiden smiled.  
  
"God, you have a lot of audacity for being new. Anyway. The first thing her says to me is, 'Who is the new girl with the blue hair?'" he said. Angela snorted.  
  
"Come on. He's in drumline. They introduced me before I tried out," she said rolling her eyes.  
  
"No babe, you don't get it. Cal wasn't there when they said your name. He was late because he just got off work. He works every day after school at Pac Sun in the mall and he only saw you perform," Aiden said as he popped a few more M&M's into his mouth. Angela nodded.  
  
"Alright, I'll buy that. Continue on," she said and finished off the last of her remaining red M&M's, her favorite color. Aiden coughed, then continued.  
  
"And so I go, 'Ah, the one with the matching beautiful eyes and the angel wing tattoos?' And he goes, 'Yes, that's the one. You know her?'" Aiden said with a laugh. "So I continued and went,' Yes, I know her. She's in my astronomy class.' He then went on to tell me he hadn't been there because of work and blah blah blah, and he eventually squeezed your name out of me after a while."  
  
Angel interrupted him with a question. "So why does he want to know who I am so much?"  
  
Aiden smiled at her as he answered. "Well, ever since he saw you try out and to that moment that you shook your hot little hips at him he's been totally down on you. All of a sudden he's blinded, and he's never been like that before," he finished, and Angela's eyebrows went up.  
  
"Ah, so I thought," Angela said. He nodded, and Angela sighed in misery. She leaned her head on Aiden's shoulder as she did.  
  
"Why me?" she asked him as she popped some more M&M's into her mouth, Aiden watching her.  
  
"What's wrong? Why do you say that?" he asked as he grabbed a handful of candies and dumped them into his mouth. She laughed.  
  
"Let's just say that I'm having a little problem with two certain men right now," she answered and grinned as a smile broke out on his face.  
  
"Ah, the two-people-are-after-you-at-once thing, huh?" he asked as he swatted Angela's hand away from his M&M's. Angela smiled as he did.  
  
"Well, here. Take this," Aiden said, reaching a hand into his back pocket and shifted as he rummaged around. Angela sat up as he did, and watched as he produced two neon orange cards and handed them to her. Angela took them, and looked at them closely. Upon closer inspection she realized that they were tickets, with her name on one and Neesha's on the other.  
  
"What're these?" Angela asked Aiden, her blue eyes glittering, and he sat back into his seat as he answered.  
  
"Well, I'm throwing this huge party, seniors only, and it's for a very select few. The only way to get in is with that ticket, and if someone decides to fake me out, I know exactly who I invited, and who was giving out the tickets. Each guest is handpicked by me and my band," he said as he ran a hand through his long blond hair.  
  
"Your band?" Angela asked as she raised an eyebrow with a huge question mark written in her eyes. Aiden nodded at her as he smiled.  
  
"Yeah. I have my own band, and, not to your surprise, Cal is in it. But we have two other guys, two other seniors, Tyler Graves and Wes Hilton. We're called Down Frequency," he said.  
  
"That's cool. Do I even need to take a guess at who wanted me to come?" Angela said with a laugh as she tucked both of the tickets into one of the four pockets on her pants. Aiden shrugged.  
  
"Well, to tell you the truth, I wanted you to come and I was the one who suggested you. But immediately Cal jumped in and agreed, so I was guessing that he wanted you to come too, but was too uneasy to say anything. You'd be surprised at what Tyler and Wes had to say, because they agreed right after too. But not without their special little comments," he said with a shady smile.  
  
"I'm not even going to ask, Aiden, what they said, but I'll come," she said with a laugh. The grin disappeared as Aiden wagged a finger back and forth at her as if saying "no-no" to a child.  
  
"That's not all I'm asking, Angela," he said quietly, now staring at her intently. Angela sighed.  
  
"Crap," she said as she looked back at him. He nodded with a wink.  
  
"Oh, it won't be that bad. I'll let you come and leave you on the list under one condition," he said with a sly smile. Angela looked at his eyes, which were staring right back at her.  
  
"And what condition would that be?" she asked, and Aiden leaned over to bring his face close to hers, and looked her right in the eyes.  
  
"You can come if you give Cal a chance that night, just to charm you, nothing more. He won't touch you, I promise. Just get to know him. That's all I ask," Aiden said quietly, and glanced around the room to see that people were staring. He didn't care. He looked back at Angela as she smiled idiotically.  
  
"Is that you talking or is that Cal?" she asked. Aiden smiled.  
  
"Smart girl. But that was me talking, and Cal didn't ask me to do it. I just wanted to give him a chance with you, because I knew what a great girl you were, and he wants to have you so bad. Please just give him a chance, and you might like him. For me?" Aiden asked and pouted and gave her the puppy dog eyes, his blue eyes looking huge. Angela laughed, and they sat back up.  
  
"Aiden, you can be such a loser. But if it's for you, I guess I can," she said and hugged him tightly around the neck, and she grinned as he hugged her back, his hands resting on the small of her back.  
  
"Thanks babe. And I hope you know you're turning out to be my best friend besides Cal," he whispered in her ear as he put his chin on her shoulder, resting his head against hers. Angela giggled into his hair as he spoke.  
  
"You know, I was thinking that too, besides Neesha," she replied, and they both looked up as Neesha approached them.  
  
"Okay y'all, best be getting untangled dere, 'cuz Pierce is comin'!" she said with a grin, sitting down on Angela's other side. Aiden let his arms slip away from Angela, as did she. They took their feet down from the desks just as Terry dove over the desk beside them, and the three smiled. He did a somersault in the air when he could tell he wasn't going to land on his feet, and ended up on one foot with just enough time to crawl under his desk and into his seat as Mrs. Pierce opened the door and walked in. Everyone was in their seats, grinning sheepishly at her, Bingo cards and M&M's in front of them, and there was no way that Mrs. Pierce could tell of the events and general chaos that had ensued after she had left. She smiled at her students, and began the usual spiel about how good they were when she left.  
  
Angela, Neesha, Aiden, and Terry both snickered as she talked, each for their own reasons. Some for Terry's stunt, and Terry for the teacher's obvious stupidity, because as they all knew, students just don't behave. Mrs. Pierce stopped talking to look at them, giving them the Evil Eye.  
  
"Okay, Batman, what now?" she asked as she focused on Terry, who was the last to stop laughing when she looked at the group. She had come to call him Batman for the reason that he pulled incredible stunts, both physical and just plain bullshitting her, in her class. He didn't stop smirking.  
  
"Well, I was smirking at the fact that I alone am the only superhero in this school, you know? It's just like come on!" he answered in the most smart-ass tone Angela had heard, and she coughed to cover up the laughter that had risen in her throat. Mrs. Pierce actually smiled, and began her spiel again. Neesha, Aiden, and Angela were shaking with laughter as they tried to quell it, as was about half the class. Angela took the diversion to pull out a piece of paper to scribble a note to Neesha. She wrote:  
  
Hey girl! Guess what! I got both of us tickets to Aiden's big  
senior exclusive on Friday. Talk to you about it at lunch!  
~Angela~  
  
Angela batted Aiden's hand away as he tried to take it, and he smiled at her with a wink. She returned the smile and passed the note to Neesha. She opened it and read it quickly, she looked up at Angela and nodded with a huge smile on her face. Then they both turned around in time to see Terry standing on his seat, in a classical Batman pose, and burst out laughing with the rest of the class. He sat down quickly as Mrs. Pierce turned around to stare at him. All she saw was Terry sitting straight up in his seat, the most cheesy smile ever directed at her, and the rest of her students around him laughing. She sighed, but with a smile.  
  
"I'm not even going to ask this time, Batman," she said.  
  
And with that astronomy resumed.  
  
**********  
  
"Oh my God girl, you got us tickets?" Neesha whooped as they walked down the hall together, heading towards the cafeteria. Angela nodded as she pulled on her wallet chain, and her wallet obediently flew to her waiting hand. As she held her wallet she pulled their two tickets out of her other pocket. She looked at them and found Neesha's. She handed it to her as she returned hers to the safety of her own pocket.  
  
"Sure did hon. Obviously they knew we would except them though, considering they have our names on them," she replied as she opened her wallet and took out a five dollar bill. Neesha looked at her as they walked, tucking the ticket into her purse.  
  
"But didn' dey hand pick dah guests? They would have all of our names on it so if they check ID then they'll know. Plus they obviously know everyone too," Neesha said as they reached the cafeteria.  
  
"Yeah, I guess so," Angela said as they headed towards the salad line, money in hand. Neesha looked at her with a sly smile as they walked along, past people who had already gotten their lunches.  
  
"Ya know what would really be great?" Neesha said as they entered the line, going in past the glass door and getting a tray.  
  
"What?" Angela asked as she went over to the drink refrigerator and slid open the door, grabbing two bottles of water. She got in the line across from Neesha, and threw her the other bottle.  
  
"Thanks girl. I think I'd really be great if ya would take ya bass over an' totally crash dah band. Like, play wit' 'em," Neesha said with a laugh. Angela actually thought about it for a second, them looked up at Neesha as she grabbed a chicken salad.  
  
"You know, that actually would be pretty cool," she said with a laugh. Neesha looked at her as if she was crazy as she picked up a salad box.  
  
"Are ya seriously thinkin' 'bout it?" she asked Angela as she moved along.  
  
"Maybe," Angela said with a sly grin as she moved along to the cashier and punched her student ID number in on the keypad. Neesha sighed.  
  
"Well, that's my girl," Neesha said and she laughed. Angela shot her dirty look as she paid the woman for her lunch, thanked her, and went around to Neesha's side to wait for her. Balancing her tray on her one hip, Angela scratched her other, and Neesha looked over at her.  
  
"What are ya scratchin' ya hip fo'?" she asked. Angela looked at her.  
  
"Quints bruises," Angela replied, and Neesha gave her an apologetic look.  
  
"Ah," she replied as she punched in her number and paid, then walked out with Angela.  
  
"So anyway," Angela began, but was stopped when someone wrapped an arm around her waist and before she could turn around the person slapped a hand over her eyes. Angela balanced her tray perfectly, not letting her awareness get away from her. She tilted her fingers up as her tray began to tip off of her hand. At the same time she felt how the person held her, the heaviness of their arm, and how closely they held her to them. They didn't even her time to say "guess who" before Angela went, "How original Elijah."  
  
"Dammit," Elijah said with a laugh as he let her go and uncovered her eyes. She smiled at him as she asked,  
  
"So where are we sitting?"  
  
"Terry went to save us a booth, since he gets in here first. So look for him," Elijah replied. So they continued to walk through the lunchroom and they passed a table of popular people. Meg Garret and Lauren Kris- two seniors- waved at her with huge smiles, and Angela waved back, a grin on her face as she saw everyone turn around and wave with them. Angela cast a glance at Meg just in time to see her mouth, 'Talk to you in Band about. him,' and saw her shoot a glance at Elijah.  
  
Angela laughed and nodded back, and kept walking. Elijah shot a curious glance at her.  
  
"What the hell was that about?" he asked, and Angela turned to him and smiled.  
  
"Nothin'," she answered, and Neesha tapped both of their shoulders, pointing to a booth by the window. Terry sat grinning at them with a huge smile on his face, his leg draped over the seat, arm over the back of the booth. Angela thought to herself for a moment, thinking he looked pretty good, with his shaggy brown hair, ice blue eyes, jeans, a black tank and a leather jacket. She laughed at the thought as the three reached the booth, and Neesha slid in next to Terry, forcing Angela and Elijah to sit next to each other.  
  
"Not that that's a bad thing," Angela said to herself as she slid into the booth, Elijah next to her.  
  
"Was' up Elijah?" Terry said and smiled, and Elijah reached over and the two did their secret handshake, one of the kinds of handshakes that best friends only know and made up during childhood. Angela and Neesha smiled at each other. Terry sat back as he took a swig of the water sitting in from of him, looking at his friends in the booth across from him.  
  
"So did all of ya get one of these?" he asked and pulled out a neon orange ticket from the pocket of his leather jacket.  
  
"We did," Neesha said as she and Angela both pulled out their tickets, holding them up. All three of them turned to Elijah, seeing him hang his head. He looked at them with a smile and held up his ticket.  
  
"Just kidding!" he laughed as Angela and Neesha threw pieces of their salad at him.  
  
"Jesus Elijah!" Angela and Neesha shrieked as the two guys burst out laughing, but soon joined in. Angela looked at Elijah as their legs touched, only to see him look back at her with a smile, which she returned. Terry interrupted the moment with a small smile.  
  
"So how are you getting there?" he asked. The three shrugged, and he smiled. "Well, if anyone wants a ride, I'm free for it." Neesha looked at him with a wink  
  
"I'll take you up on that. It's always better to go to a party with a guy," she said, and Terry nodded.  
  
"That's cool. What about you two?" he asked turning to Angela and Elijah. They both shrugged.  
  
"I'll have to put that offer on hold, Terry. But I'll let ya know," she said with a smile as she stuffed some salad into her mouth. Elijah nodded.  
  
"Yea, I think I'll have to hold it too," he said, and Terry nodded, smiling a secret smile at Neesha. She winked back. Just then all of them noticed that Sora Domingo, Angela's cousin- who surprisingly moved to Fishers just a year before Angela, but from Los Angeles- walking towards them. She reached the table and gave everyone a big smile.  
  
"Hey y'all. Was' up Angela?" she asked as she and Angela shook hands in their own handshake.  
  
"Nothing much hon. So what's on the brain cuz?" Angela replied as she took another bite of salad. Sora shrugged.  
  
"Nothin' much. I was just wondering if y'all got one of these," Sora said as she held up one of Aiden's orange tickets. The group responded by holding up theirs with a smile on their faces. Sora laughed.  
  
"'Aight. Well I'll be talking to y'all later then. Angela, call you tonight after school," Sora said, but raised an eyebrow as Angela shook her head.  
  
"Sorry girl. I gotta learn the choreography with Elijah after school, then I got drumline til 9. Call me on my cell around 9:15," Angela relied, and Sora nodded.  
  
"Who's the lucky guy you're learning choreography with?" Sora asked, and she smiled as Elijah raised his hand. "Ooh, baby you got yourself a good girl. Keep up with her though, and watch out!"  
  
Elijah smiled at the comment with a secret smile that everyone at the table saw. But he thought no one did.  
  
"Oh don't' worry; I'll keep up just fine." he said and then left the sentence hanging as he cast a glance at Angela. Sora smiled and winked at Angela when Elijah wasn't looking.  
  
"Okay y'all well I better be going. See y'all later. Angela, 9:15 sharp! Later," Sora said, waved, and then turned and left, carrying her tray to her seat across the cafeteria. The booth turned back to each other, and with the secret looks passing between the group, their lunch went on. On several occasions, almost half of the senior class, including Meg, Lauren, Becky DeMoffit, Leah Thorne- one of Angela's new best friends and a member of the winter color guard, stopped by the table to see if they had gotten tickets. All of the senior drumline members also stopped by, and about a half of the drumline were seniors. It was pretty much a nonstop hello and goodbye routine. Aiden's party was an obvious all senior thing, because all of the seniors were excited and more chatter than usual filled the cafeteria, and Angela looked around and laughed when she saw all of the jealous looks on the underclassmen's faces. Angela said her thought out loud and the whole booth looked around and sure enough, there were the underclassmen staring back with a death look painted on their faces. The junior girls at the table next to them stared back and one of then turned and called the group "bitches" and Terry called, "Hey girls, you got an eye problem?"  
  
The girls stared at him in utter shock, and one of them responded.  
  
"No, why do you care?"  
  
Terry smiled in silence. "Well sweetheart, I'm a damn senior and if you have a staring problem or an issue with me or my friends here you better get your underclassmen punk ass up here and talk with me. You ladies dig?"  
  
The girls just stared back and flipped him off.  
  
"Sorry baby, this boy is mine!" Neesha said as wrapped an arm around Terry as the girls gave them death glares and turned around. Terry and Neesha looked back at Elijah and Angela with shock.  
  
"Jeez folks, I'd say we have a little pest problem here. I think me and Neesha are going to go because we have our little things to talk about alone, a'ight?" Terry asked and shoved the last bit of sandwich into his mouth. He took a swig of water as Angela and Elijah shrugged.  
  
"It's fine with me," Elijah replied, and Angela nodded. Terry smiled.  
  
"Well then kids, later," he said and him and Neesha got up and walked to the trash bins, dumping their trash in as they walked out. As two passes the windows near Elijah and Angela, they both made a weird face and waved, but Neesha cast Angela a little smile and a wink. Elijah looked at Angela then, and when Angela turned around she was started to see him staring back.  
  
"Wow baby, don't scare me like that. What's up?" she asked when she saw the look in his eyes. He glanced at the clock.  
  
"Let's take a walk. I need to ask you something," he said to her, and question marks popped up into her brain.  
  
"Sure," she said anyway. So he grinned at her and they both got up and left, walking towards the trash bins. Angela heard one of the juniors say something about Elijah as they walked by. Angela turned around and whispered, "Sorry ladies, he's mine. Lay off." The girls gave her a funny look as Elijah turned around and gazed ate Angela. She smiled at him widely.  
  
"What was that?" he asked as her smile grew even wider.  
  
"Nothing," she said and winked. He smiled in response.  
  
"Thought so," he replied as he took her tray and dumped it in the bin for her and the two continued out into the hallway, walking side by side.  
  
"So, what is it that you needed to talk to me about?" Angela asked as they walked along, and as she asked Elijah stopped and leaned against the wall, and Angela noticed that they were away from anyone's eyesight in the cafeteria. Perfect, in Angela's opinion.  
  
"Well, I was going to ask you if you would let me drive you to Aiden's on Friday," he asked and looked at her eyes, and when she met his gaze her looked at the ground, shifting is weight in an embarrassed manner. Angela smiled and tilted his head up to look at her with her right hand.  
  
"Of course I want to ride with you, why wouldn't I?" she asked. He smiled at her.  
  
"Well, can I TAKE you there then, like be your date?" he asked, and Angela laughed.  
  
"Hell yes, Elijah. That's all I wanted," she said with a smile. He grinned ecstatically back at her, a boyish look on his face.  
  
"Okay, so how does eight sound Angela? So we can cruise and chill for about an hour before?" he asked and looked at Angela in the eyes, and she moved closer to him, putting her arms around his neck as she looked up at the ceiling and thought. As she hugged him closer he put his arms around her too, resting his hands in the small of her back, his thumbs hooked in her belt loops. She savored the feeling of him against her, the way his hips pushed into hers, and the way he held her. Little did she know that Elijah, at that moment, was also enjoying the same feeling.  
  
"Well I wasn't going to go until 8:30." and Elijah got a hurt look on his face before she could finish, "but if it was anyone other than you asking I'd say hell no. But I do want to go at eight with you."  
  
He smiled at her, and looked right into her eyes. She looked back, and they both leaned forward at the same time, their lips touching gently as their eyes closed. Angela kissed him a little harder, and he responded, but remained gentle. Neither of them deepened the kiss and after a moment they both pulled away, resting in each other's arms for a second before they began down the hall once more, Angela's arm in Elijah's. Angela looked at him with a secretive smile as they walked, and Elijah caught it.  
  
"What?" he asked, the same smile hiding on his face, barely touching the corners of his blue eyes, which where now glimmering with happiness.  
  
"Nothing. I was just thinking about the spontaneity of that situation," she said as her smile turned into a grin. He laughed.  
  
"What, was that bad or something?" he asked as they both turned down into the B hallway to go back up to Mrs. Pierce's class to get their things to head to sixth period. She looked at him with a wink.  
  
"No. Not at all. I was jut pondering what a good kisser you are, that's all," she said and smiled as he laughed.  
  
"Well I wish I could say the same about you," he said with a joking grin, and Angela shrieked.  
  
"You little asshole!" she said as he began to run down the hallway and up the stairs, and she followed, her blue and red buns bouncing on her head as she ran, her wallet chain smacking her hip.  
  
"Elijah!" she shrieked as she jumped up the stairs, taking then three at a time, and she saw him right in front of her, running faster as he saw her close behind. She caught up with him right before they turned to go into the science hallway, and tackled him to the ground, pinning him down with her knees and elbows.  
  
"God you suck!" Elijah said as he looked up at her and laughed, and she smiled back.  
  
"I know," she said as she leaned down and kissed him again, and he pulled her down as she did. Angela ended up straddled his hips and she looked up only to see Neesha and Terry in Mrs. Pierce's doorway grinning at them. She laughed in the middle of the kiss and Elijah looked up and saw them too. Angela put her head on Elijah's chest and buried her face in his shirt to try and stop from laughing. Elijah started laughing too, and looked up from the floor at Neesha and Terry.  
  
"Man, you guys sucks so bad," he said in between laughs.  
  
Neesha and Terry only looked at each other and smiled. 


End file.
